5 Concrete Ways to ‘End It’ With Salon No-Shows

Many times, because of the impression a client could be lost, salon no-shows are unfortunately just accepted as a reality when adopting this mentality is actually the worst way to go about the problem. You work hard on your salon and you cannot afford to ignore behaviour that costs you money, having a negative impact on your bank balance at the end of the day. Sometimes, SMS appointment reminders, like the ones you can send out with the Phorest software, isn’t just enough, even though they help loads. While it is crazy to think it’s possible to completely eliminate salon no-shows, here are 5 concrete ways to drastically reduce their frequency.

1. Clearly Define Your Salon No-Show Policy

Choosing the right salon no-show policy for you

What and when you should charge for salon no-shows mainly depends on the cost of the service, how busy the salon is, how well you know the customer and how easy it is to re-book the cancelled appointment. Flexibility is important when defining a no-show policy.

Wording your salon no-shows policy

When it comes to wording your no-show policy, the same 3 customer service rules below should apply:

Don’t tell your customer “it was written there, black on white”. Rather, take your time to explain the policy.

Don’t show your frustration… the customer might not always be right, but the customer is ALWAYS the customer.

Ring the client to see if you can gain insight on the reason for the no-show (up to your discretion, of course).

2. Track And Analyse The Reasons For Your Customers’ No-Shows

Ideally, you want to allow yourself to focus on looking after courteous clients who show up on time or at the very least ring you to let you know if there’s something has come up. What you can do, is track the reasons with your customers that aren’t showing up.

The Phorest Software is great for this as you can add-in notes on a client’s card and set up the system to prompt you with a message indicating if this customer has a recurring no-show history and the reasons behind them. Keeping track of this information can help you decide whether you should be flexible with a client or not.

3. Have A Staff Training Session To Ensure Your Entire Team Is Onboard

Don’t forget about your team. Set up a staff training session and simulate no-show situations. Clients will be a whole lot more accepting of your no-show policy when receiving professional explanations about it.

4. Communicate Your Salon’s New Procedures

Did you set up a 3-strike rule? Will you be taking deposits from naughty clients? Whatever you have decided to introduce as new house rules, make sure everyone can see them. If you don’t do this, you will find yourself handling angry calls in no time. Set up a notice in the reception area, mention it when they book in and share the policy on your social media platforms.

5. Reduce Costs Incurred By Salon No-Shows With Online Booking

Online bookings can be really helpful when it comes to no-shows. In fact, a system like Phorest’s Online Bookings has proven to drastically lower no-shows partly because we give the client some control over their appointments. Appointments usually tend to be rescheduled rather than cancelled and no-shows happen less because the client has chosen a time that suits them and then enters his credit card details, which for many is a deterrent for not showing up. However, if the client still doesn’t show, then your salon is still protected because in that situation, you can take a payment from the credit card.